Here it is, walking the downside of August and man, is it still hot! 96 degrees today. We'll get cooler by Thursday, with lows hitting the mid 50's - yeah! I'm ready to get cold when I sleep.
Pretty uneventful couple of weeks - last weekend, didn't really do a lot. Met up with some friends at Dewey's last Friday night, and ended up being DD for them. It was my friend Jayne's B-day, they wanted me to go with, so told them I'd drive them. Since there 7 of us, I took 3 and Karin's brother took the 3 of them into downtown Littleton (he went home so we could keep it a "girls night out"). I will tell you, however, they were already 3 sheets to the wind, some a little more. One left Old Town Tavern early, not sure how she got home. Angie was absolutely snockered, so I took her home, and Amy was still pretty sober, so dropped her off at Dewey's to get her vehicle to go home. This friend of Amy's that was visiting was just a cute little 25 year old, but had a laugh I'd never heard before - it was such a goofy laugh that it made us all crack up! My gut was hurting by the time I got home at 9pm. Whatever happened to those nights when I'd stay up until 3am?
Saturday was the 8th and final Caddy Hut Putt-putt golf tourney. The Denver Jaycees have been doing this fundraiser for years for the Scleroderma Foundation's Denver chapter. My friend Scott's mom died from the disease many years ago, so he became active with the foundation and started doing this fundraiser with Bric. They've raised probably close to $75K (I'm guessing hard on this) over those 8 years through silent and live auctions. I've been a large contributor to that cause. Heck, when I think about it, I've probably put in about $2K myself over 7 years of attendance. I've gotten a basketball signed by Dick Vitale (college basketball commentator extraordinaire); autographed pic of Patrick Roy (retired goalie for the Colorado Avalanche hockey club); an autographed Rob Blake sweater (same club); 3 facials; 2 sets of Rockies tickets; a Pinzgauer camping trip (bet on that with Chuck 2 years ago, we have yet to go on it); a condo in Puerto Vallarta that Boots and I never got to go on because of airfare and timing (I will NEVER purchase a timeshare); and various little things. I've gotten killer deals on stuff - I'd have to say unfortunately, but more than received my money's worth on all of this, and it all went to charity which I am hardly ever able to turn down.
Through all of that, the only time I would really see Bric and Scott is at this tourney, and if I were lucky, at the Denver Jaycees Christmas party. I see Bric's wife Linda here and there at things, and usually at least once a month on local TV or radio when she is doing promos for the Dumb Friends League. I got cell numbers again, so hope I don't lose touch with any of them.
So Saturday, besides going to work for 4 hours, scoping/purchasing Bronco hats for my best friend Tal's son Blake (they live in south Minneapolis - can't get Bronco gear there) and a fundraiser, I was pretty wiped. My knees were absolutely killing me the rest of the weekend.
This week at work is a killer already, and will be the rest of it as well. We are still waiting to hear from corporate about the approval of replacing our SA position - I hope it happens soon, not sure how much more I can take. Although I can't do that job, I still deal with the customers and a bunch of the little issues that position dealt with. Then, having to work on getting customers to other sources (our Salt Lake or Phoenix offices) to get pricing on product - all of those places are getting sick of doing our work, I'm sure - along with my regular work plus a variety of special projects, all of the work is getting to me. I've been in a bad mood since yesterday afternoon; hoping to get over that by tomorrow.
I'm hitting a couple of baseball games this week, as well as 3 or 4 next month; that should help me as well :)
Well, asta la taco to y'all fer now. . . try to catch you before Labor Day weekend ***shiver*** can't believe that's almost here already!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Saturday, August 11, 2007
So, Shall we say. . .
It's HOT again? Dang, I know my industry "thrives on the misery of others" when it comes to weather, but this is ridiculous! Enough already. . . no more humidity (yes, to my family out east, it has been the icky, sticky sweaty humid here, too)!
I went to the 115th anniversary party of the Brown Palace Hotel w/Boots on Thursday. For those that haven't heard of the Brown Palace, it is a very nice hotel in downtown Denver that has been the stopping point for many a president and high ranking official. Dwight Eisenhower used on many occasions as his "home away from home," often spending his breaks at the hotel, including Christmas. The suite he stayed in is still there and used often. It has a small dining room, living room w/fireplace, water closet and master bedroom (w/full bathroom, of course). It has the ability for an adjoining room as well. Oh, and this hotel is notably HAUNTED. Gotta try that sometime. . .
Anywhooo, they had an in-house Iron Chef contest amongst their own staff, which was held on a stage in the middle of the lobby area. They had some great food (their prime rib is to DIE for) and a wine tasting. It was fun, and we got to take home a commemorative wine glass. How do I get to do such fun stuff?
Today, I went to the 1st of 2 baby showers this weekend. My best friend Karen's niece, Marissa, is having a baby girl, currently scheduled for Sept 20 arrival - we'll see how baby likes that day :) She is such a cute kid, and her husband, whom she married as a result of the pregnancy, seems to be very supportive and is really a nice guy. He has a little girl from his first marriage as well. She wasn't there, but I guess is looking forward to a baby sister. Marissa will be 21 soon, her husband I think is 22 or 23. I hope they do well and stay together. They seem happy after 5 months of marriage.
The 2nd baby shower is tomorrow for Kyrie, the daughter of good friends, whom I've grown very close to. She's had her ups and downs as a teenager, 2 bouts with cancer before the age of 18, and now a pregnancy close to her 21st birthday - but she is a good kid, despite all of her trials she's gone through. The father is too young and apparently somewhat spoiled, so still wants to play teenager before taking on responsibility. I'm going to guess that he probably didn't learn a great deal of that from his parents, who probably let him run a little rampant and didn't hold him accountable for his actions. That's OK - one day it'll kick in that he has someone that will rely on him to teach how to be a good person.
In the meantime, we'll all be there for Kyrie and the baby. I think she'll be a good mom, she already knows the things that she wants to do for her child. That's more than I have seen most young moms think about. Kyrie thinks more ahead than "day-to-day." This is my chance to play auntie, and hopefully I'll see them a lot more. Although I sometimes think that kids wouldn't have been a bad thing for me, in today's society, its definitely a difficult job. I admire anyone who does it, and does it well. It's a lot to balance physically, emotionally and financially. Especially those that have to do it by themselves. God Bless the moms!
There'll be more later. . . until then!
I went to the 115th anniversary party of the Brown Palace Hotel w/Boots on Thursday. For those that haven't heard of the Brown Palace, it is a very nice hotel in downtown Denver that has been the stopping point for many a president and high ranking official. Dwight Eisenhower used on many occasions as his "home away from home," often spending his breaks at the hotel, including Christmas. The suite he stayed in is still there and used often. It has a small dining room, living room w/fireplace, water closet and master bedroom (w/full bathroom, of course). It has the ability for an adjoining room as well. Oh, and this hotel is notably HAUNTED. Gotta try that sometime. . .
Anywhooo, they had an in-house Iron Chef contest amongst their own staff, which was held on a stage in the middle of the lobby area. They had some great food (their prime rib is to DIE for) and a wine tasting. It was fun, and we got to take home a commemorative wine glass. How do I get to do such fun stuff?
Today, I went to the 1st of 2 baby showers this weekend. My best friend Karen's niece, Marissa, is having a baby girl, currently scheduled for Sept 20 arrival - we'll see how baby likes that day :) She is such a cute kid, and her husband, whom she married as a result of the pregnancy, seems to be very supportive and is really a nice guy. He has a little girl from his first marriage as well. She wasn't there, but I guess is looking forward to a baby sister. Marissa will be 21 soon, her husband I think is 22 or 23. I hope they do well and stay together. They seem happy after 5 months of marriage.
The 2nd baby shower is tomorrow for Kyrie, the daughter of good friends, whom I've grown very close to. She's had her ups and downs as a teenager, 2 bouts with cancer before the age of 18, and now a pregnancy close to her 21st birthday - but she is a good kid, despite all of her trials she's gone through. The father is too young and apparently somewhat spoiled, so still wants to play teenager before taking on responsibility. I'm going to guess that he probably didn't learn a great deal of that from his parents, who probably let him run a little rampant and didn't hold him accountable for his actions. That's OK - one day it'll kick in that he has someone that will rely on him to teach how to be a good person.
In the meantime, we'll all be there for Kyrie and the baby. I think she'll be a good mom, she already knows the things that she wants to do for her child. That's more than I have seen most young moms think about. Kyrie thinks more ahead than "day-to-day." This is my chance to play auntie, and hopefully I'll see them a lot more. Although I sometimes think that kids wouldn't have been a bad thing for me, in today's society, its definitely a difficult job. I admire anyone who does it, and does it well. It's a lot to balance physically, emotionally and financially. Especially those that have to do it by themselves. God Bless the moms!
There'll be more later. . . until then!
Thursday, August 2, 2007
As my world turns. . . yet again!
What an eventful month July has been! I did a lot of stuff, had some huge challenges to overcome (well, got through one of them, anyway) and now looking forward to some better times. My issue at work, a girl that has been a thorn in not just my side, but to everyone at work, has finally left our office. . . yiippeeeeee!!! The day she walked out the door (July 25th) was the day my life became a lot more peaceful. She was what we called in the Jaycees a "cancer" to our office, with a bad attitude, rarely helpful and an overall downer. The atmosphere of our office has improved considerably, and now, pending our corporate's slow response to anything we need (red tape to hire a new person), we already have a replacement found. . . and they are the PERFECT compliment to my abilities. I can learn from them and hopefully I can teach something useful in return. I'm really excited for the possibilities there.
To those who have never really known what I do, I have always been a secretary, administrative assistant, small office manager, etc in some way, shape or form. My strengths have been my ability to be pretty highly organized, project oriented, multi-tasking, advanced Microsoft Office/WordPerfect able and just that "do what it takes to get it done" attitude. Each time my boss and I review my position at work (currently titled sales secretary), my list of things I do seems to grow exponentially. I will say that the abilities that are now possessed by me are in large part due to my experiences in the Jaycees (Junior Chamber). I learned a lot about running large projects - I chaired the largest young person's BB Gun tournament in the US - organizing, relating to people (although I find that is FOREVER a work in progress), event planning, etc. But to keep it "real" I've also slacked at times as well.
It is with all of this past and present experience that I have decided to finally get a degree. I'm going to work towards an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management at Arapahoe Community College to start with, then see what I need to do from there to possibly get a Bachelor's in something else. The possibilities are truly endless for me, just need to get into a job that really utilizes my skills where I can excel even more and make some decent money. I guess by all standards for what I do, I make more than the average for a person in my current position. My boss has been working to get me a promotion, but he's been in a waiting pattern for that as well (again, corporate red tape strikes again!). It would give me a good raise, however, when it does happen. We'll just wait and see.
So, with new people around me and continuing education, I feel that I am finally ready for some big changes. My next goal is my weight. It's always been a contention for me, but especially difficult after my thyroid surgery. The knee surgery this past winter didn't help either, but I've truly used that as a crutch for not doing what I need to do. Now that things are falling in place around me, the time has come for some drastic changes in that area. My friend Donna is talking about going back to school as well (we have pretty much the same goals), and wants to take some yoga classes, too. I've been doing them on and off myself, but it's time to really start working it. I have to build the quads in both of my knees - to continue with the healing in my post-surgery joint, as well as to get my other one ready for surgery next spring/summer. The better shape they are in, the better (and faster) my healing will be. My friend Boots got a membership to the YMCA in downtown Denver as well, so hopefully we'll be able to coordinate some workout time together. I'll be surrounding myself with people that really want to work with me in every aspect of my goals, as encouragement and group efforts are what helps you to succeed - and that's something I plan on doing now!
Speaking of the "Y," the one I carry my membership at, Southwest, has been trying to get there volunteer committees going again. We met last spring on a few occassions, but nothing really came out of them, except for ideas that went no where. Well, finally, we had another meeting. Only 2 out of 6 of us showed up, so I put my head on straight this time and put forth easy goals to start achieving. Well, they have been presented to the board president, and apparently they liked it enough to move on the first item. I have 2 more initiatives I'm going to work towards implenting by the end of the year; if they come to fruition, I truly believe in my heart of hearts that they will be the events that could really kick start our "Y" into a whole new realm of members and activities (and hopefully more spinning and fitness yoga classes).
Well, guess I'll sign off for now, gotten a lot off of my chest (so to speak). . . :)
To those who have never really known what I do, I have always been a secretary, administrative assistant, small office manager, etc in some way, shape or form. My strengths have been my ability to be pretty highly organized, project oriented, multi-tasking, advanced Microsoft Office/WordPerfect able and just that "do what it takes to get it done" attitude. Each time my boss and I review my position at work (currently titled sales secretary), my list of things I do seems to grow exponentially. I will say that the abilities that are now possessed by me are in large part due to my experiences in the Jaycees (Junior Chamber). I learned a lot about running large projects - I chaired the largest young person's BB Gun tournament in the US - organizing, relating to people (although I find that is FOREVER a work in progress), event planning, etc. But to keep it "real" I've also slacked at times as well.
It is with all of this past and present experience that I have decided to finally get a degree. I'm going to work towards an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management at Arapahoe Community College to start with, then see what I need to do from there to possibly get a Bachelor's in something else. The possibilities are truly endless for me, just need to get into a job that really utilizes my skills where I can excel even more and make some decent money. I guess by all standards for what I do, I make more than the average for a person in my current position. My boss has been working to get me a promotion, but he's been in a waiting pattern for that as well (again, corporate red tape strikes again!). It would give me a good raise, however, when it does happen. We'll just wait and see.
So, with new people around me and continuing education, I feel that I am finally ready for some big changes. My next goal is my weight. It's always been a contention for me, but especially difficult after my thyroid surgery. The knee surgery this past winter didn't help either, but I've truly used that as a crutch for not doing what I need to do. Now that things are falling in place around me, the time has come for some drastic changes in that area. My friend Donna is talking about going back to school as well (we have pretty much the same goals), and wants to take some yoga classes, too. I've been doing them on and off myself, but it's time to really start working it. I have to build the quads in both of my knees - to continue with the healing in my post-surgery joint, as well as to get my other one ready for surgery next spring/summer. The better shape they are in, the better (and faster) my healing will be. My friend Boots got a membership to the YMCA in downtown Denver as well, so hopefully we'll be able to coordinate some workout time together. I'll be surrounding myself with people that really want to work with me in every aspect of my goals, as encouragement and group efforts are what helps you to succeed - and that's something I plan on doing now!
Speaking of the "Y," the one I carry my membership at, Southwest, has been trying to get there volunteer committees going again. We met last spring on a few occassions, but nothing really came out of them, except for ideas that went no where. Well, finally, we had another meeting. Only 2 out of 6 of us showed up, so I put my head on straight this time and put forth easy goals to start achieving. Well, they have been presented to the board president, and apparently they liked it enough to move on the first item. I have 2 more initiatives I'm going to work towards implenting by the end of the year; if they come to fruition, I truly believe in my heart of hearts that they will be the events that could really kick start our "Y" into a whole new realm of members and activities (and hopefully more spinning and fitness yoga classes).
Well, guess I'll sign off for now, gotten a lot off of my chest (so to speak). . . :)
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